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About Mount Holyoke

In 1837, Mary Lyon did the unthinkable. She founded the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, which later became Mount Holyoke College—the first of the Seven Sisters. Radical moves for a woman wearing a bonnet.

In doing so, she forever changed the landscape of higher education—not just for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts, but for women around the world. She built a place where women could develop their intellects, hone the power of their voices, and cultivate courage.

These days, change is all around us, happening at a pace too fast to measure. And while Mary Lyon couldn’t have foreseen a digitally connected world, she did understand that a woman would need to be agile, creative, and brave to live the life she wanted. Her vision still drives Mount Holyoke.

Mary Lyon once issued a challenge to the women who would follow her: “Go forward, attempt great things, accomplish great things.” She did. You will.